Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to active bone conduction devices.
Related Art
Hearing loss, which may be due to many different causes, is generally of two types, conductive and/or sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the normal mechanical pathways of the outer and/or middle ear are impeded, for example, by damage to the ossicular chain or ear canal. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear, or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain.
Individuals who suffer from conductive hearing loss typically have some form of residual hearing because the hair cells in the cochlea are undamaged. As such, individuals suffering from conductive hearing loss typically receive an auditory prosthesis that generates motion of the cochlea fluid. Such auditory prostheses include, for example, acoustic hearing aids, bone conduction devices, and direct acoustic stimulators.
Bone conduction devices convert a received sound into vibrations that are transferred through a recipient's teeth and/or bone to the cochlea, thereby causing generation of nerve impulses that result in the perception of the received sound. Bone conduction devices are suitable to treat a variety of types of hearing loss and may be suitable for individuals who cannot derive sufficient benefit from acoustic hearing aids, cochlear implants, etc., or for individuals who suffer from stuttering problems. Bone conduction devices may be coupled using a direct percutaneous implant and abutment, or using transcutaneous solutions, which can contain an active or passive implant component, or other mechanisms to transmit sound vibrations through the skull bones, such as through vibrating the ear canal walls or the teeth.